Somerset operates from a Base Camp established on the original acres of land purchased in the early 80s. The Base Camp is picturesque and well-appointed with grassy camping areas, toilets and showers, undercover briefing areas, floodlight fields, a sick-room for sick or injured students to rest, the original Somerset Homestead for use by the coordinating teacher and by group teachers as they pass through, and a dining hall for meals and as a fall-back in extreme weather conditions.
Our Operations Office, the heart of our programs, is located at Base Camp and houses our Centre Manager, Program Coordinator and Schools Liaison staff who manage the communications base, program information as well as procedural and policy documentation.
On our Base Camp property we maintain an enormous store of equipment including tents, rucksacks, vehicles, trailers, group gear from spoons to chopping boards, campsite gear from pots to BBQs as well as all activity equipment from harnesses to canoes.
Our campsites are an integral part of the program and form the essence of the camping experience - we strive to maintain them at a high standard. There are over 15, exclusive private campsites resplendent with a LED-lit shelter, benches, drinking water on tap, campfire circle and firewood, flushing toilets with hand-washing sinks, grassy area for tent set-up and teacher’s-tent platform. All of the campsites are accessible by road.
Our Expedition campsites support our privately owned sites providing us the means to extend programs for older groups and Duke of Ed participants.
Our Administration Office, based in Waitara, is the centre for our Duke of Ed programming, as well as Financial and Administration Management. The office compliments the Base Camp operations as a support centre for School Briefings and facilitating meetings.